A place for us to share with the world what goes on here - warts and all, and to fantasize about someday really understanding what it means to be "self-sufficient"...

Tuesday, October 04, 2011

Strange Bedfellows

They say it's politics that makes that happen. But around here apparently all it takes is a breakdown in fencing...

I went out to do morning chores, and when I walked onto the lower lot, there were two bodies. Lying next to each other. Spooning, actually. I thought they were dead. I made some sort of shocked exclamation, and the pig woke up and jumped up like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. The ram did not move. Closer inspection revealed he could not move - he was hopelessly tangled in electronet.

My best guess?

The ram was grazing overnight by himself in the electronet. The Tamworth pig got out of his enclosure. ( In the past when this has happened, the pig runs to "visit" the sheep - he is terribly excited to see them, and makes like he wants to play, or at least be friends. The sheep are mortified, and pretend not to see him, all the time moving quickly and quietly away, as if the pig is carrying the plague... ) As per the usual, the pig tried to "visit" the ram, and the ram panicked and tried to get away. Through the fence. Which was at one point connected to a power source, so this was a painful enterprise. There was MUCH thrashing and rolling about and eventually they pulled the fence out of the battery, but by that time, the ram was rendered practically immobile, what with fence wrapped around his head, horns, and front right leg.

What came next, only those two know, but when I found them, they were sleeping together.

The pig was returned to his enclosure, and I went to free the ram. Unfortunately, Leonidas was much the worse for the experience. The biggest injury was to his neck, mostly the right side. A patch of fleece at least 6 inches in diameter was gone, and there was terrible bruising. Minor scrapes and abrasions, but nothing too deep. He was trembling, obviously in a lot of pain, and exhausted.

Dr. Shelley was dispatched, with CDT boosters, and banamine, and anitbiotics, and we are waiting and watching. Leonidas is eating and drinking, although slowly. The pig seems fine for the encounter.

Several people have lost rams that got tangled in Electronet, so Leonidas is one lucky fellow to be alive! Maybe the pig even helped keeping him warm when he was injured, exhausted and possibly shocky. (I'm just glad the pig didn't EAT him!)

Michelle-I didn't realize Electronet could be so deadly! We are very grateful he survived, whatever the circumstances. We think the pig was actually sleeping with him for warmth - and most likely the benefit of that went both ways!

He is not out of the woods yet, so we are keeping a very close eye on him...